Art Hovhannisyan vs Alejandro Perez Feb. 22 @ Morongo Casino Resort CA

[VNewz...]

On Friday, Feb. 22, Gary Shaw Productions will present a doubleheader on ShoBox: The New Generation live on  SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) that  features fighters with a combined record of 59-3-3 with 37  knockouts.

Two of  Shaw's top prospects will be featured in each of the fights. His popular,  promising super featherweight, Art Hovhannisyan (15-0-2, 8 KOs),  of Glendale, Calif., will headline against Alejandro Perez (16-3-1, 11  KOs), of Salinas, Calif., in the 10-round main event at Morongo Casino  Resort in Cabazon, Calif.

The  eight-round co-feature that opens the telecast will showcase GSP's Tureano  "Reno" Johnson (13-0, 10 KOs), who represented the Bahamas in the 2008  Olympic Games, against fellow unbeaten Willie Fortune (15-0, 7 KOs), of  Detroit, Mich., in a middleweight match.

Tickets  priced $35 and $55 are on sale at the Morongo Casino Box Office or by calling  the Box Office hotline at [phone]. They are also available by calling  Ticketmaster [phone] or online at ticketmaster.com. Doors open on fight  night at 5 p.m. The first fight starts at 5:30 p.m. 

Shaw is  excited about his rising stars and the exposure they will get from appearing on  ShoBox.

"The card  is going to be really special because it is filled with fresh faces that possess  real talent,'' Shaw said. "There are a lot of great fighters in the world and  great prospects, but you never get the chance to see them. This show will give  fans a chance to really understand that the next star is never too far away.  Fighters have different personalities in the ring; they can have similar styles  and still perform completely different.  This will be a good opportunity for  fans to get familiar with two very unique talents.''

The  Armenian-born Hovhannisyan, who moved to the United States in 2007, following a  stellar amateur career, will look to continue to impress in the pros. He has  been in the ring with tough competition such as Miguel Acosta, who  Hovhannisyan defeated on an exciting, hard-fought split decision last July 20 on  ShoBox, and former world champion Cristobal Cruz.

Hovhannisyan believes he is coming  along exceptionally well as he develops his identity in the  ring.

"It's a  demanding sport with constant obstacles on a daily basis," Hovhannisyan said.  "The margin for error is so small that even good fighters that do the right  things can slip up in a single instance. I know what is expected of me with  every performance and I use my training time wisely. I look at every day as a  chance to prove something and I've been proving myself for a long time, I focus  on the little battles in camp so that I can be victorious in the battle that  takes place in the ring."

The chance  to headline an event is always a rewarding feeling, but Hovhannisyan knows that  it is extra special when a network takes interests and allows a fighter's  abilities to be broadcast around the world. 

"I treat  every fight with the importance it deserves and I never underestimate my  opponents, but this is definitely a little different knowing that fans that  wouldn't normally get to see you can through SHOWTIME,'' Hovhannisyan, 31, said.  "It's fitting being on SHOWTIME because that's how I feel when I go out there.  It will be show time for me and I just know the fans of the sport will be  pleased with what I bring to the ring." 

Shaw is  very confident in Hovhannisyan, the potential he shows and the progress he's  made.

"We've  matched this kid tough, that's what he's wanted,'' Shaw said. "Art knows what he  wants out of boxing; that's an important part of the process because it's not  enough to want to be the best. That kind of mentality is vague and it puts you  in a constant uphill battle. He's after very specific goals and I believe he is  well on his way to achieving his success.''

Perez, 26,  has been a pro since August 2004. He has won two of his last three, including a  dominant eighth-round knockout over Derrick Wilson in his last start on  Feb. 4. 2004.  Perez dropped Wilson four times - once each in the second,  fourth, fifth and eighth rounds.

Johnson,  who turns 29 on Feb. 12, will be making his 2013 debut after fighting nine times  last year. A pro since March 2010, the former amateur standout has been on a  knockout tear of late, winning five of his last six by stoppage, including his  last four in a row.  He is coming off a third-round TKO over Jose Mora on  Oct. 22, 2012, in the Dominican Republic.

"I don't  look for knockouts, but they come to me because I put myself in a position to  entertain the crowd,'' Johnson said. "I don't avoid confrontation in the ring,  but I'm comfortable enough to trust my hands and let them go. I'm anxious to  work. Some people have to go to their jobs that they don't enjoy, but I'm  fortunate enough to enjoy what I do. I love every day that I get to lace up my  gloves because I know what the possibilities can bring. I enjoy camp. The fight  is like the icing on the cake.''

Fortune,  31, hails from a boxing family whose cousin includes Cornelius Bundrage (fighting Ishe Smith on Saturday, Feb. 23 on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP  BOXING®).  Fortune will be making his first  start outside his native Michigan, where he won the Detroit Golden Gloves in  2008. In his last outing, he registered a second-round TKO over outclassed  Shane Geirke on Dec. 28, 2012. 

The  Morongo Casino Resort and Spa is located at 49500 Seminole Dr., Cabazon, Calif.,  92230.